Far away and free from the constraints of the Viennese court, Empress Sisi spends the summer months at her residence on Corfu. The Hungarian Countess Irma Sztáray, a newcomer to her entourage, has to prove herself as a lady-in-waiting: She is supposed to dispel Sisi's boredom and be equal to her concerning physical endeavors. Told from the perspective of the supposedly last lady-in-waiting, who accompanied Sisi on her travels until her death throughout Europe for many years, the film opens up a very personal view of life at the court of Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary and freely interprets this unconventional friendship between the two women.

It is almost unbearably hot on Corfu when Irma Countess Sztáray arrives at the summer residence of Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary, known as Sisi. Halfway dying of thirst, she first has to pass a fitness test and is physically exanimated in detail. After all, she has to prove herself as a lady-in-waiting and companion to the empress and be able to keep up with her sporting activities. Sisi spends many months in this place, far away from her husband Emperor Franz Joseph and her children. Here she escapes the confines of the court in Vienna and lives a free, self-determined life. Irma is initially irritated by the daily routine of elixirs (cocaine), starvation, alcohol, hikes, beauty treatments and extensive horseback riding excursions with which Sisi spends her lustful and energetic everyday life, constantly striving for rejuvenation. Little by little, Irma falls under her spell, is fascinated by this extraordinary woman and falls madly in love with her. As the summer draws to a close, Sisi is forced to bow to the demands of the Viennese court and returns. Irma remains at the side of the headstrong empress on her subsequent travels to Algeria, England and finally Switzerland, until she is torn from her life by an assassination in Geneva.

At the center of this free interpretation is the relationship between the two female characters, played by Sandra Hüller as Countess Irma and Susanne Wolf as the exciting middle-aged Sisi, which revolves around love, friendship and power. The acting of the two offers a strong interpretation and projection surface for the screenplay by director Frauke Finsterwalder and Christian Kracht. The story is loosely based on letters and diaries of Countess Irma Sztáray and other ladies-in-waiting of the empress, which found their way into public after her death. SISI & ICH is a refreshing Sisi narrative that radically deconstructs the popular image of Ernst Marischka's films from the 1950s with Romy Schneider as Sissi. The dramaturgical alternation of comedy, tragic moments and travelogue creates a convincing story of this intense female friendship. Finsterwalder has brought together a suitable acting ensemble and dressed her impersonators in costumes reminiscent of 1970s fashion. The impressive imagery was shot on analogue 16mm film and combined with the musical trick of adding contemporary songs by predominantly pop and rock musicians to the historical context. The result is an overall picture of self-determined female figures as an analogy to the contemporary discourse on feminism.

Production Country

Germany (DE), Switzerland (CH)

Production Period

2021/2022

Production Year

2022

Duration

Feature-Length Film (61+ Min.)

Type

Feature Film

Genre

Drama

Topic

LGBTIQ / Queer, Friendship, Film History, Equal Rights / Emancipation

Scope of Rights

Nichtexklusive nichtkommerzielle öffentliche Aufführung (nonexclusive, noncommercial public screening),Keine TV-Rechte (no TV rights)

Licence Period

14.08.2030

Permanently Restricted Areas

Germany (DE), Austria (AT), Switzerland (CH), Liechtenstein (LI), Belgium (BE), Luxembourg (LU), Netherlands (NL), Australia (AU), New Zealand (NZ), France (FR), United States of America (US), Canada (CA)

Temporarily Restricted Areas

Albania (AL), Serbia and Montenegro (RS), Nordmazedonien (MK), Croatia (HR), Montenegro (ME), Kosovo (XK), Slovenia (SI), Bosnia-Herzegovina (BA), Israel (IL), Italy (IT), South Korea (KR) (05.12.2024), Ukraine (UA) (11.02.2025)

Notes on the Restricted Areas

Ex-Jugoslawien: MCF Megacom
KR: Andamiro Films
IL: Lev Cinemas
IT: Movies Inspired
UA: Arthouse Traffic

Available Media

DCP, Blu-ray Disc, DVD

Original Version

German (de)

DCP

Subtitles

German (partly), German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), Portuguese (Brazil) (pt), Czech (cs), Romanian (ro)

Blu-ray Disc

Subtitles

German (partly), German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), Portuguese (Brazil) (pt), Czech (cs), Romanian (ro)

DVD

Subtitles

German (partly), German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), Portuguese (Brazil) (pt), Czech (cs), Romanian (ro)

Note on the Format

DVD-Auswertungszeit: ab 15. 05. 2025

• Sisi - Kaiserin Elisabeth
• Frauke Finsterwalder
• Trailer